Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-27
THU NAN OF ALMONACID.
lcornhill.l

city in the sunshine-when heard OF a
modesty so very retiring, and remem-
bered that England had no extndition
treaty with Spain, my only wonder was
rs to the sum of his spoils. Was he
defaulter for $4,000 pounds or petty
rogue Of all work
"Ten months That is long time !"
/ said 10 Dona Mercedes, my informant,
aud the elder of the two old maids who
kept the Casa de Huespedes, in which
/ found that / had this stranger for a
neighbor. zone might see the antiqui-
ties even Of Toledo in that time"
Truly" she answered "but then,
Don Ihgo is painter"
"Ah now / understand !" Ireplied,
with great increase of cheerfulness.
Zone might paint Toledo for ten years
and not have done. ], too, am painter. "
"And no doubt" said the old dame,
beaming upon me through her round
trimmed spectacles, "Don lago will be
known 10 you ,"
took up the visitors book, in which
the sand had not yet dried my autograph
flames Blent," L said, reading the name
TO which she pointed. "No. do not
know him"
Dopa Mercedes was puzzled, being
scarcely able to understand that two
Englishmen, even two English artists,
might be strangers to one another. But
presently she crossed herself. "DOn
iago is an old Christian, she said softly,
and so went off with her book, benevo-
lent still. but conscious, fear. of SER
pent in her Eden.
Eden was our boarding-house From
paved alley-the Gale del Arzobispo-
YOU turned into an archway and CROPPED
for door up three steps in the darkest
corner. Then you pulled a weight
which hung there, and by and by the
jron-studded door opened as of itself,
and 10 tiny courtyard, in which four
orange-trees in tubs produced an effect
of sombre gayety. Round this patio,
at the level of first floor, ran We
randa, reached by an uncovered stair
case. All the rooms opened on to this
vcranda. On the right-hand side were
four little bedrooms. On the side
which faced the entrance was the COM
mon parlor, and on the left the kitchen
and the old ladies' room, at window of
which one was always sitting, ready to
open the outer door with cord when
ever the hell tangled.
1t was all very plain and primitive, but
clean; and, looking round my bedroom,
which had whitewashed walls and a
matted floor, and for furniture bed, a
stool, a basin. and braserO, found no
cause TO regret the dingy hotel | had left.
When | passed No. l on my way TO
dinner the door was ajar, and DOna Mer-
ccdes was inside with lamp III her hand.
I pauscd before the door, aud she, look
inc M. saw me. "Ah :" she said
proudiv. did | not tell you that Don
Iaco was a painter? See here :" And
she threw her light upon n picture which
was resting on an easel before the WIN
dow.
saw at once that it was not badly
nainted. There WAS a show of facility
about it. And yet it was mediocre, sur
urisiDg me less by its execution than its
subject. Here in Toledo, the grand and
bizarre, in the midst OF such arcmtec-
tural beauty and grotesqueness as fairly
bewildered an artists eye, my nelghbor
had not painted n street scene, Moor
isb gateway. or leafy cloister. He had
chosen instead a country landscape al
most as COMMONPLACE as it was dreary
a gray house and a gray, sloping olive
grove. and round them bleak, wind
swept uplands. ! was scarcely more as
topished TO find that l knew the place.
had PASSED il the day before in my
walk from Tornjos-walking is whim
of mine-and it was full seven miles
from Toledo.
At the time / said something pretty to
Dona Mercedes and went on to the par
lar Ny neighbor was late; had nearly
finished when he entered. he was a
man of thirty-fve, perhaps, with thin,
careworn face and lines below the tenn
nIos He was about nv height, wearing
his hair end mOustache cut short-a
blonde and English-lcoklDg' he had
probably heard of my arrival, yet he
seemed put out at sight OF me, perhaps
merely because he was late.
~ have left the head of the table for
Won" | said. half rising, politely. You
AVE been here some time understand. -
He was breaking his bread into NOR
sells and eating with worried air.
Eyes: the place suits me" he an
swered rather CURLY.
"Yet you like to hear the lark sing as
we'll as the mouse squeak" l replied,
smiling. His tone was not encouraging,
lint | wished to be agreeable. If am
not mistaken I met you yesterday. "
"Not that | am aware OF, he said,
with hasty glance at me, and then de-
voted himself to bis soup with renewed
zest. .,
ono? On The pathway cannot call
fIcrriinc > AhOut y
o'clock ?"
lie shook his head. "You are mis-
taken" be answered. was not out
side the town yesterday.
"Then l saw a man very like you l
rejoined, nettled by his manner. There
is ruined castle. called Almonacld, L
believe, about mile this side of Tori
los. As was passing it | saw an Eng
ishman. and an artist also, If port
folio makes an artist, leave It and make
quickly for the village before me. Some
how / missed him among the houses,
and was too far from him at any time to
sec his features distinctly. But he was
wearing clothes like yours"
"And like yours, too, presume, he
reioiped sharply. He had way OF
waiting for you and taking You up sud
denly, OF which this was my first expe
rience.
"JustS!" said, for he was right
We were dressed alike. But L am moi
aware that the mirage occurs in Spain
Perhaps you know Almonacid?
Ono, he replied, more equally, as i
he were ashamed of his show Of temper
~ have heard Of it. But it is too fal
for my legs, and j cannot afford hors'
hire. | sometimes walk out III that di
rectiop, but not half as far"
/ made hasty calculation. Almon
acid was nine miles from Toledo. TIL,
gray house and solitary olive grove Were
al least seven. So that when my frien,
said that he had not been half rs far a
Almonacid, he was not quite truthful
since he must have been 70 the scene o
his picture. But it was no business o